Thailand’s Media

by JW on April 28, 2009

Why is the Thai media so irresponsible and inaccurate? Day after day, obvious lies are passed off as truth or ‘comment,’ unsubstantiated assertions are made and conclusions drawn without evidence or logical thought. Last week the Nation carried reports that an agreement had been made with the UAE to have Thaksin Shinawatra extradited and/or that he had been banned from the country. That turned out to be a lie (or, shall we say, an inaccuracy). Now the Nation has a new story claiming that the Thai government has been “using all means to corner Thaksin.” No evidence is adduced to support this (after all, if they did, pointed questions would be asked about the court case involved) – then again, ‘senior government figures’ often turn out to be criminal slanderers: I wrote last week that Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya was openly Accusing Khun Thaksin of ordering the death of Sondhi Limthongkul (who had just been shot). No evidence at all – just a bald accusation – and this from a Foreign Minister.

So how do they get away with it? In his 2000 book, Politics and the Press in Thailand: Media Machinations, Duncan McCargo tends to put the blame on incompetent and poorly-trained journalists more accustomed to deferring to the pooyai (big people) and not questioning what they were told. However, he also includes a quote from Girling which said: “… with powerful protectors behind them, newspapers may also denounce or libel adversaries to a remarkable degree.”

This tendency of course continues – is it the case, then, that journalists, commentators and proprietors have mistaken the concept of free speech with the ability to say anything at all without penalty? During the Thai Rak Thai administrations, for example, there was much talk about suppression of free speech by recourse to the law of libel, yet few people acknowledged that a lot of what people were saying was, clearly, libelous – unsupported assertions which damage the reputation of a person or institution is a reasonable definition of libel. A lot of comment still is libelous.

South China Morning Post (subscription)No-show of China's Shaolin abbot in Bangkok fuels rumours of investigationSouth China Morning Post (subscription)The Bangkok event is part of celebrations to mark the 40th anniversary of Sino-Thai diplomatic relations and the birthdays of the Thai queen and princess. China News Service reported that the exhibition […]

Bangkok PostATM thief says he worked aloneBangkok PostPolice would question family members of the three men and investigate if more people had taken part in the theft, Pol Lt Gen Boonlert said. Get full Bangkok Post printed newspaper experience on your digital devices with Bangkok Post e-newspaper. Try it ...and more »

Bangkok PostPhangan mulls lifeguards after jellyfish deathBangkok PostPhangan district chief Krikkrai Songthanee on Sunday led officials to inspect Rin beach where 31-year-old Bangkok tourist Chayanan Surin was attacked by one of the deadliest creatures in the world, and discussed safety measures with operators of ...and more »

Bangkok PostCity goes down the sink | Bangkok Post: newsBangkok PostThe chilling warning comes from the National Reform Council's committee to prevent Bangkok subsidence which says unless decision-makers take rapid action millions of homes in the capital will disappear under the water. It may sound like an exaggeration ...

Channel News AsiaBangkok photo exhibition marks 50 years of diplomatic ties between Singapore ...Channel News AsiaOrganised the Singapore Embassy in Bangkok and the Singapore Tourism Board, the photo exhibition also features cultural shows marking the yearlong celebration of 50 years of Thai-Singapore relations, which included a football match, a tennis tour […]